Savoury quinoa & Kale pie

Quinoa and Kale, a love story

I read somewhere, I believe it was on Food52, that quinoa and kale were made for each other. I couldn’t agree more. Since Gwyneth Paltrow decided It was All Good, and created the loveable and super simple quinoa and kale recipe, topped with a fried egg, I have been eating this combo daily. (The only said thing, is that quinoa is getting ridiculously expensive, have you noticed? I might consider to start a quinoa farm!) It’s just one of these recipes you can wake me up for at night without risking your life. But also nutritional wise it’s a wonder seed, packed with all the goods you need. Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. It’s a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. So especially for vegetarians or vegans it’s actually indispensable. It’s also high in iron, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin (B2), and the antioxidant manganese which helps protect red blood cells and other cells from injury by free radicals.

And although quinoa is not a grain (we do eat it as any other grain) it contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. It’s a true superfood, and besides that, incredibly versatile. Though I think the combination with kale is the best ever, have you ever tried mixing it with some extra virgin olive oil, raw cherry tomatoes, avocado and chili flakes? A-MA-ZING. True. You can mix almost everything with quinoa, and it’s always good.

But now I wanted to do something different. Put it in a pie for example. I used to love baking savoury pies. And just as with quinoa, you can vary greatly with it. One of my favourites was the original (meatless) quiche Loraine, until, of course, I decided not to eat (white) flour anymore, or cream made of dairy, for that matter. So yes, when the main ingredients of those pies, all seemed to be high on my to-get-rid-off-list, quiches were never made again. Until now. It seems pies don’t necessarily need a crust! If only I had known before!

I started experimenting on a crustless quinoa and kale pie, which got a bit dry the first time, but absolutely amazing the second. I used organically soy cream, added a few more eggs, and three different cheeses. It was the perfect trick to keep it nice and moist.

My two-year old helped me out there, and together we made this new savoury pie, I secretly had been waiting for all along. This super simple recipe is not only tasty, it’s also very healthy, and breakfast, lunch, brunch ánd dinner proof!

DIRECTIONS for a Savoury quinoa & kale pie

Wash the quinoa well, and cook as directed with a pinch of salt. (2 cups of water for 1 cup of quinoa)Dice the onionsAnd mince the 2 garlic clovesHeat 4 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet, and add the onion and garlic. Str fry for about 5 minutes, until soften, but not brown.Use some extra hands if you need to ;-)I used prefab organically grown kale. But you can cut it yourself as well. Add to the onions and garlic. Stir fry for another 5 minutes, add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and don’t be shy.When the kale turns nice and green, it’s done.Mix 6 eggs with 225 ml / 1 cup organical soy cream to cook with.Mix wellMix in half a cup of cheddar cheeseAnd half a cup of grated Parmesan cheeseIn the meantime grease a baking tray with olive oil or butter, and preheat your oven to 160 C / 320 F degrees.Mix egg-mixture with the kaleAlso add 2 cups of cooked quinoa, and bring to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. If you like, add some ground chili flakes.Transfer the whole mixture to the baking tray. Crumble the soft goat cheese on top....and stir in carefullyCover the whole thing in aluminium foil and place into preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, than take off the foil, and bake for another 10 minutes.

After 30 minutes your gorgeous pie is ready! Let it cool down a bit or totally, before you start attacking it!Sprinkle some chili-oil on topbon appétit!An absolute love story.